Used Land Rover Range Rover 2013-2022 review

Rare are the truly iconic, but the Range Rover is most definitely among them. It sits with the original Mini and the Jaguar E-Type among the pantheon of great British cars, and its inherent rightness, at once utilitarian, at the other a luxury vehicle, has also made it a worldwide success.

This is the fourth-generation model, on sale from 2013 to 2022. Smartly styled, wonderfully furnished and better to drive in every mode than the versions that went before it, the Range Rover is unassailable in its ability to combine on-road waft with true and outstanding off-road capability.

Inside, the commanding driving position and leather-everywhere approach create an aura of luxury, and there’s lounging space for five (if you want to fit in seven you’ll need the contemporary Range Rover Sport).

Engines: Most buyers will opt for one of the two 3.0-litre diesel V6s and be rewarded with strong performance and adequate economy, while the 4.4-litre V8 ups the speed at the expense of heftier fuel bills. There’s also the option of a diesel-electric hybrid on newer models, with impressive on-paper efficiency figures, and a 2.0-litre petrol hybrid, known as the P400e. A couple of 5.0-litre supercharged petrol V8s top the bill, with stunning acceleration but equally eye-watering consumption.

Trims and equipment: Trim-wise, Vogue is the starting point. This entry-level trim gets plenty of kit, including a heated windscreen, folding door mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, metallic paint, 20in alloy wheels, leather seats, cruise control and a 10.0in twin-screen infotainment set-up.

Next up, Vogue SE adds more driver assistance tech, heated and cooled semi-aniline leather seats, soft-close doors, 21in split-spoke wheels, a more advanced terrain response system and a 825W surround-sound system (the standard car gets a more humble 380W set-up).

At the top end of the line-up, Autobiography cars get more lavish materials inside, a massage function on the front seats, executive-class rear seats, a sliding panoramic roof, further driver assistance features and more powerful ‘pixel’ LED headlights.

The SVAutobiography model, meanwhile, gets everything on the options list thrown at it; it features a 1700W Meridian audio system, quilted leather semi-aniline seats, a rear seat refrigerator, mohair mats with leather bindings and deployable leather-trimmed tables.

And then there’s SVAutobiography Dynamic, which offers a lower ride height and special side vents and front grille, as well as more driver-focused chassis settings.

Ride and handling: Despite its size, the Range Rover always feels manageable and supremely isolated on the road. The V6 diesel is smooth and refined and barely noticeable most of the time. The 4.4-litre V8 is seriously impressive. It makes a lovely burble at idle and generates ample torque (516lb ft, to be precise) from as little as 1750rpm, allowing for measured acceleration and easy cruising.

The P400e, with its 2.0-litre petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain, is surprisingly swift, with a 0-62mph time of just 6.4sec. The electric motor has 31 miles of range. Meanwhile, the supercharged 5.0-litre V8 petrol-engined car serves up almost indecent pace.

The SDV6 hybrid combines the 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine from the SDV6 with an electric motor to boost efficiency and performance. It’s not a plug-in hybrid, however, so doesn’t have the ultra-low CO2 emissions of some rivals. It offers stronger low-rev performance than the TDV6 and better economy, but it’s not as good to drive as the SDV8.

The ride is first class, with a cross-linked air suspension set-up that's standard on all cars, and a suppleness that very few luxury cars can match.

In the bends, you never forget that you're driving a tall, two-tonne, top-heavy SUV when you're behind the wheel of the Range Rover, but the car is more agile than you may expect. It feels precise and inspires confidence in most situations, allowing you to place it accurately on the road. Should you decide to really chuck the Range Rover at a twisty B-road, though, it does start to pitch and lean more in bends than you’d like.

Interior and practicality: Inside, there's plenty of space up front, and large amounts of both leg and head room in the rear for three.

You won’t want for boot capacity in the Range Rover. There’s more than enough space for a couple of adults’ luggage and a reasonably hefty baby buggy – or a few sets of golf clubs. The floor itself is decently flat, but actually getting deep into the load space can be tricky; that’s because the Range Rover has a two-piece tailgate and the section that lowers down can get in your way as you’re reaching forwards.

If you're interested in buying a used Range Rover, or any of the other cars mentioned in this article, head over to our used car classified site here.

Entry to the Range Rover club starts at between £14,000 and £18,000, this for a 2013 or 2014 model with an average to high mileage for the year.

Up your budget to between £20,000 and £30,000 and you’re looking at 2015 and 2016 cars with an average mileage, while £30,000 to £35,000 should find you 2016 and 2017 cars with the same criteria bought from franchised dealers.

Expect to pay £35,000 to £40,000 for later cars from 2017 and 2018, and between £40,000 to £45,000 on a good 2019 or possibly 2020 car. You'll need between £45,000 and £60,000 for a 2022 car.

MPG

It won’t be cheap. The most economical engine on paper is the latest diesel-electric hybrid, which has a staggering claimed fuel consumption of 101mpg, but unless your journeys are all short, you won't match this figure. More realistic are the 3.0 diesels, of which the SDV6 version claims 45.6mpg under the older NEDC tests, and 31.5mpg under the later, more realistic WLTP tests. The two 5.0-litre petrols are unlikely to match their claimed fuel figure, even if that is a mere 22.1mpg.

Road Tax

Range Rovers registered before April 2017 will cost a large amount in VED road tax every year, and insurance groups are high, too, with even the V6 diesels in group 50. Cars registered after that date will pay a flat rate of tax, currently £180 a year, but will be subject to a luxury car tax supplement payable on every car that cost over £40,000 new. This currently stands at £390 a year, and runs from year two to year six of the vehicle's life.

Servicing

Servicing will be expensive, especially if you stick to the Land Rover franchised servicing agents. At least many offer fixed-price servicing, payable by direct debit, with plans available for two years and two services, right the way up to five years and five services.

The TDV6 3.0-litre V6 diesel edition is our pick. It has more than enough low-end pulling power to make for swift progress, and you gain in efficiency, with it offering CO2 emissions of 196g/km and scoring more than 33mpg in our real-world True MPG test.

Vogue SE is our favourite trim. This adds a few extra features; you get a dual-view infotainment screen that allows your front passenger to view different content from the driver, there's more adjustability on the driver’s seat and the headlights dip their beam automatically.

Our favourite Range Rover: 3.0 TDV6 Vogue SE

The Range Rover is a luxury SUV, a class it shares with the more expensive Bentley Bentayga. This features an opulent interior brimming with goodies, is also very rapid and offers lots of personalisation options. However, the Range Rover offers more space inside, and the Bentayga’s infotainment system isn't as good as you'd expect on a car of this class. It’s also not as good off road as the Range Rover, but it is substantially better made.

The Audi SQ7 is another luxury SUV that, despite having very limited off-road abilities, pitches itself against the Range Rover. It has prodigious performance, excellent handling, lots of room and a high-quality interior. Against that, it’s expensive and doesn’t have the badge that buyers in this class, even when buying used, might demand, although once again it's clearly a more dependable car than the Range Rover.

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If you're interested in buying a used Range Rover, or any of the other cars mentioned in this article, head over to our used car classified site here.